Rome Italy) – On the eve of his debut at the Masters 1000 in Rome, Italian Matteo Berrettini spoke about his physical condition at the moment. After opening the clay season well, with title at the ATP 250 in Marrakech, he crashed on his debut in Monte Carlo and is only now competing at home. Currently 95th in the world, he commented on the successive physical problems he has faced in recent years.
“Sometimes I stop and say that there must be a voodoo ritual to justify these problems. Then the rational part tells me it’s just a virus or something. It’s very difficult to start again because entering a tournament and thinking about whether you’ll be able to play is different from thinking about whether you’re going to play well or badly”, commented Berrettini, highlighting the difficulty of overcoming uncertainties in each return to competition.
Even so, the Italian remains firm and tries to recover his best form, which took him to number 6 in the world. “Sometimes it’s tiring and I realize that I’m exhausted, then I clear my head and understand that I’m willing to face it because I love playing tennis. Here I made some final preparations, I had already played this morning at another club”, said the 28-year-old tennis player.
“I’m here because it’s Rome, I haven’t been able to train much lately, but I’m trying to be in the best shape possible for the game with Napolitano. Foro Itálico has changed a lot and improved, it’s good to be back and it will be good to find the support of the fans again”, added Berrettini, who will have his 100% Italian debut on Roman clay, facing compatriot Stefano Napolitano.
The long history of injuries makes Berrettini understand the situation of compatriot Jannik Sinner well, who does not compete in Rome due to physical problems. “I’ve been in his shoes and I know what it means to give up this tournament. However, Sinner is very young and will play as a protagonist for many more years”, said the Italian.
“That’s part of tennis. What advice would I give him? It depends on the period and the moment. Unfortunately for him, injuries have been a constant, but he is well looked after and is so mature that he thinks about the future when he decides. It’s as simple as that”, concluded Berrettini.
Tags: Rome Berrettini
